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The Journal =
of
South Asian Non-Proliferation and Security December
2009 Editorial
Staff |
![3D"SASSI_logo_ol"](3D"dec2009_files/image002.jpg")
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SASSI=
216;s
South Asia Security Brief is an online compendium of security related
publications.
It is a periodic compilation of news, official statements, and expert analy=
ses
related to South Asian security issues.
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Supporting worldwide understanding of South=
Asian
security, non-proliferation, arms control and disarmament issues.<=
/i> A Product of the
South Asian Strategic Stability Institute (SASSI) CO=
NTENTS
NUCLEAR ENERGY OFFICIAL STATEMENTS (NUCLEAR)=
OPINION / EDITORIAL FEDERALLY
ADMINISTERED TRIBAL AREAS (FATA) INDO-PAK TENSION ENERGY / CLIMATE MIDDLE EAST MISSILES NUCLEAR WEAPONS/ENERGY NUCLEAR TERRORISM
Approval
for Russia's fuel bank December 1, =
2009 A stockpile of nuclear fue=
l is
to be set up in UK K=
een To
Partner India In Nuke Power Plants December 2, =
2009 The IAE=
A-Led
Missions Evaluate Nuclear Power Preparedness in Indonesia and Vietnam=
December 2, =
2009 The IAEA will be conducting
two Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) missions in the coming
days to review Indonesia´s and Viet Nam´s preparations for
introducing nuclear power. N-plant
processes under review after Kaiga incident: Ashok Chavan December 3, =
2009 Government today said it w=
as
reviewing processes and procedures at all nuclear power stations following
the "deliberate" contamination of drinking water at the Kaiga
Atomic Power Station (KAPS) in which 92 employees suffered radiation. Research
Centre Boost For UK's Civil Nuclear Industry December 3, =
2009 The Atomic-Blast
Detection Station Established Near Iran December 3, =
2009 A United Nations group see=
king
to outlaw nuclear-weapons tests has set up a detection facility near the
border between Jordan
selects Korean consortium to build nuclear reactor December 3, =
2009 The Jordan Atomic Energy
Commission (JAEC) on Thursday chose a South Korean consortium to build the
country's first nuclear research reactor, chairman of the evaluation panel
Nidal Zoabi said. Ch=
ina
looks at nuclear-powered cargo ships December 4, =
2009 The head of Chinese shippi=
ng
giant Cosco has suggested that container ships should be powered by nucle=
ar
reactors in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from shipping, said =
to
account for 4% of the global total. Nuclear
Power - IAEA Okays Nigeria's Ambition
December 4, =
2009 The International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA) said yesterday that it is fully in support of the co=
untry's
ambitions to build a nuclear power plant to meet its growing energy needs=
. S=
ellafield
fined over radioactive dust contamination December 4, =
2009 Sellafield has been fined
£75,000 after two contractors inhaled radioactive dust at the nucle=
ar
plant. The workers were drilling an area of floor at the Cumbrian site's
plutonium finishing and storage plant in July 2007 when they were
contaminated. State
utility regulators in U.S. prefer nuclear December 6, =
2009 Nuclear power is preferred=
by
twice as many =
India
and Russia sign civil nuclear agreement December 8, =
2009 December 9, =
2009 Authorities have officially
ended the latest effort to introduce nuclear power in India
to supply low-cost nuclear parts for export December 10,
2009 GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy = Ltd. and Westinghouse Electric Co. plan to use India as a low-cost supplier of nuclear parts for export to the US and Europe, executives said Thursday.<= o:p> Another
20 years for United State's oldest reactor December 11,
2009 After over half a century =
of
operations, the oldest research reactor in the Ukraine
set to take stake in IUEC December 14,
2009 EU to open =
talks
with Russia on nuclear energy deal December 22,
2009 European Union countries on
Tuesday agreed to start negotiations with UN helps Russian training centre to enhance nuclear power plant safety <= o:p> December 28,
2009 Science students from Two
killed in fire at Indian nuclear centre December 30,
2009 Two people were killed whe=
n a
fire broke out at an Indian nuclear research centre, but authorities ruled
out any radioactive leakage.
02 December 2009 US President Barrack Obama is finally poised to unve=
il
his much awaited revision of Afghan policy in a speech to be delivered at
West Point Military Academy, besides being televised on Tuesday evening&#=
8230;. 03 December 2009 US President Barack Obama’s much-awaited
announcement of his new Afghan strategy has evoked alarm and disappointme=
nt
in equal measure. Obama has committed to sending 30,000 additional US tro=
ops,
but also announced a withdrawal date starting from July 2011… 04 December 2009 US President Barack Obama’s new Afghan policy
centers on three “core” elements. First, the troop surge addi=
ng
30,000 US troops to those already deployed there amidst the hope that NATO
can be persuaded to contribute another 5-7,000… 07 December 2009 Balochistan Governor Zulfiqar Magsi has said that
Pakistan cannot oppose drone attacks in Balochistan because the Americans=
are
funding us. He said that Washington can do whatever it wants as Pakistan =
is a
beneficiary of American aid…. 09 December 2009 Pakistan is the target of terrorist attacks almost e=
very
day now. The spread and range of attacks seems to be widening with each
passing day. On December 7 we saw two major cities — Peshawar and
Lahore — being targeted and the very next day the office of a sensi=
tive
agency in Multan was also rocked by blasts… 10 December 2009 The widely expected federal cabinet reshuffle seems =
nowhere
in sight after Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani denied any such decision=
was
due until the fate of the controversial National Reconciliation Ordinance
(NRO) is decided by the Supreme Court (SC)…. 11 December 2009 Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani extended an olive
branch to Baloch nationalists, including their exiled leadership, from the
floor of parliament while discussing the government’s Balochistan
package…. 14 December 2009 Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani may be forgiven for
what appeared to be a Freudian slip or wishful thinking when he said that=
the
military offensive in South Waziristan was almost over… 15 December 2009 December 31 will see the end of the present local
government (LG) system, leading to new LG elections next year. Prime Mini=
ster
Yousaf Raza Gilani has said that the new LG elections should be held on p=
arty
basis… 17 December 2009 The New York Times has carried a story that claims
Pakistan has rebuffed repeated US requests for a crackdown on the Haqqani
network in North Waziristan…. 18
December 2009 As
widely expected, the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) has been
unanimously struck down by a 17-member larger bench of the Supreme Court =
(SC)
headed by the Chief Justice…. Indian
announcement of IHK pullout ‘cosmetic measure’: FO 22 December 2009 ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office Spokesman Abdul Basit said
that the Indian announcement of withdrawing 30,000 troops from Occupied J=
ammu
and Kashmir is ‘cosmetic’… 23 December 2009 In a rare display of statesmanship in a climate of
rising tension in the post-National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) scenar=
io,
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif
agreed some basic parameters to guide their relations within the context =
of
the country’s situation…
IHK
CM says China’s objections stopped road construction 01 December 2009 SRINAGAR: Work on a mountainous road in Indian-held
Kashmir (IHK) near the border with China has been stopped after objections
from the Chinese army, an official said in a report…. Rights
group finds mass graves in IHK 02 December 2009 SRINAGAR: A human rights group in Indian-held Kashmir
(IHK) said Tuesday it had found unmarked graves containing several thousa=
nd
bodies in the revolt-hit region during a three-year survey of dozens of
villages…. Jeep
crash kills 13 in Azad Kashmir 03 December 2009 MUZAFFARABAD: At least 13 people were killed and 11
others injured on Wednesday when an overloaded jeep fell into a ravine in
Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the police said… IHK’s
anonymous graves reminder of war’s dark days 07
December 2009 BIMYAR: In the summer of 1996, Ali Mohammad Mir, a
40-year old building contractor and a father of three children, mysteriou=
sly
disappeared. Today, he lies in some anonymous grave along with hundreds of
other unidentified men… Conflict-weary
IHK marks 20 years of insurgency 14 December 2009 SRINAGAR: In a year of watershed events from Berlin =
to
Tiananmen Square, 1989 also witnessed the birth of one of the world’=
;s
longest-running separatist insurgencies in Indian Kashmir…. Clinton
for resumption of Indo-Pak talks on Kashmir 15 December 2009 WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has
called for resumption of dialogue between Pakistan and India on all
outstanding issues, including Kashmir, warning that terrorists would try =
to
provoke a conflict between the two countries if the issues were not resol=
ved…. WB
delays funding for IHK project 22
December 2009 NEW
DELHI: The World Bank (WB) has stalled its funding for a major project it=
had
cleared in May last year for Indian-held Kashmir (IHK) on the ground that=
it
is located in a disputed territory and requires a declaration to that eff=
ect
for the funds to be released… 2
policemen killed in IHK ambush 23
December 2009 SRINAGAR:
Two policemen were killed and another injured on Tuesday after suspected
militants ambushed a patrol in a town in Indian-held Kashmir (IHK)…=
Occupied
Kashmir not Indian territory: WB 23
December 2009
Tehran plays down nucl=
ear
statements, revision of IAEA cooperation 03 Dec
2009, The Earth Times WORLD: Iranian official
calls for major nuclear expansion
News
Services December 6, 2009 Iranian official=
calls
for major nuclear expansion
-- Europe may add little on the Iranian nuclear standof=
f European
governments are maintaining a united public position as the long-running
crisis over <=
span
style=3D'text-decoration:none;text-underline:none'>Iran Denies Enrichment
Expansion Aimed at Challenging IAEA
Global Security, Dec. 9, 2009 Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad today said his country's announcement last week of pl=
ans
to build another 10 uranium enrichment facilities was not intended to
challenge the 35-nation governing board of the International Atomic Energ=
y
Agency, which had issued a resolution denouncing some of the Middle Easte=
rn state's
nuclear activities, Agence France-Presse reported. The Iranian Minister Threa=
tens
Dimona
Just as the UN Se=
curity
Council prepares to discuss Iran FM: We're Willing=
To
Consider Nuclear Fuel SWAP 19/12/2009
By
Haaretz Service Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Saturday that
Tehran was ready to consider a recent proposal issued by Western nations
under which Iran would obtain nuclear fuel from outside sources rather th=
an
producing it itself, the official IRNA news agency reported. "We are re=
ady to
examine proposals by the other side about the fuel swap," Mottaki to=
ld
IRNA. The United States dismissed earlier this month an offer to swap 400
kilograms of low-enriched uranium on the Iranian island of Kish for nucle=
ar
fuel enriched to 20 percent, in what would be the first phase of a deal w=
ith
world powers. Mottaki reiterated a mid-December statement that Ahmadinejad: 'Iran is solid and united' 23
December 2009: Jon S=
now
There
have been fresh=
clashes
between
President
Hamid Karzai's rival pulls out of Afghanistan poll |
|
MISSLES |
P=
oland,
U.S. Agree on Patriot Deployment Troop Terms
December 1, =
2009
Poland and t=
he
United States have finished negotiating an agreement that would address t=
he
legal status of U.S. military personnel to be deployed on Polish territory
with a Patriot missile defense system, Reuters reported last week.
R=
aytheon
Receives $17M for South Korean Patriot Upgrades
December 2, =
2009
Raytheon Co.=
has
received a $17 million contract modification to upgrade the communication
capabilities of South Korea's Patriot Air and Missile Defense System, the
U.S. defense contractor said yesterday.
=
M=
issile-Tracking
Satellite Passes Environmental Tests
A geosynchronous satellite for the plann=
ed
U.S. Space-Based Infrared System has successfully undergone a thermal vac=
uum
testing process designed to simulate conditions in orbit, Lockheed Martin
Corp. announced yesterday.
=
=
J=
apanese,
U.S. Armies to Hold Missile Defense Drill
The armies of
=
J=
apanese
Court Upholds Sentence Over Missile Defense Radar Leak<=
/a>
A suspended prison sentence for a former
Japanese military officer convicted of leaking privileged information on =
the
Aegis missile defense system was upheld yesterday by the Tokyo High Court,
the Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported.
=
Chavez:
Venezuela acquires thousands of missiles
President Hugo Chavez said Monday that <=
/span>
=
N=
ATO
Open to Missile-Defense Cooperation With Russia
NATO announced Friday that it was prepar=
ed
to consider collaborating on missile defense with
U=
.S.,
Poland Sign Troop Agreement for Missile Deployment
December 11,
2009
Washington a=
nd
Warsaw today signed an accord on the legal status of U.S. soldiers statio=
ned
in Poland that is a prerequisite for the deployment of Patriot air defens=
es
in the European country, Agence France-Presse reported.
US,
Poland status of forces pact deepens military cooperation
December 11,
2009
The US and
Poland have reached an agreement to station an American antimissile defen=
se
system on Polish soil two months after plans to install a more robust mis=
sile
system in Poland and the Czech Republic were scrapped in the face of inte=
nse
Russian opposition.
Norway
light spiral – missile failure caused by UFO/ET intervention?
December 13,
2009 | by Dr. Michael Salla
After first
denying any missile test in the White Sea region where mysterious spiral
lights could be seen over much of Norway on December 9, Russia one day la=
ter
announced an embarrassing failure of a new intercontinental ballistic nuc=
lear
missile. Russia’s Bulava missile spun out of control during the thi=
rd
stage of a test launch.
T=
echnical
Glitch Foils Missile Defense Test
December 14,
2009
A technical
problem with a target missile Friday curtailed an intercept test of the U=
.S.
Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system, the Missile Defense Agency
announced.
I=
ndia
Tests Nuclear-Capable Missile
December 14,=
2009
India yester=
day
conducted a successful test-firing of a ballistic missile that could be a=
rmed
with a nuclear warhead, Reuters reported.
J=
apan
Holds Off on Further Patriot Missiles
December 15,
2009
Japan's
coalition government appears to have decided yesterday to delay the field=
ing
of additional Patriot Advanced Capability 3 air defense interceptors, Kyo=
do
News reported.
U=
.S. to
Simulate Missile Attack by Iran in Shield Test
December 15,
2009
The United
States next month intends to assess its defenses against a possible
long-range Iranian missile strike in a test expected to cost $150 million=
, Reuters
reported.
Russia
Navy to continue work with Bulava missile – commander
December 15,
2009
Commander-in=
-Chief
of the Russian Navy Admiral Vladimir Vysotsky believes it is impossible to
refuse from the submarine-launched intercontinental ballistic missile Bul=
ava,
despite its recent unsuccessful tests, and impossible to replace it with
another missile.
Russia completes
trials of new surface-to-air missile
December 16,
2009
Russia has
completed preliminary testing of a long-term interceptor missile for the
advanced S-400 missile-defense system, the chief of the Almaz-Antei design
bureau said on Wednesday.
I=
ran
Launches Long-Range Missile in Test
December 16,
2009
Iran announc=
ed
that it had successfully today test-launched an improved version of its
long-range Sajjil 2 missile, Reuters reported.
R=
ussia
Working on New Missile Defense System
December 17,
2009
Moscow has
announced that work is under way on a new integrated missile and air defe=
nse
system, Interfax reported yesterday.
US
to stage simulated Iran missile attack after Sajjil-2 test
December 17,
2009
The Pentagon
will simulate an Iran missile attack with an ICBM in January, addressing a
threat that is as yet hypothetical. Iran tested a medium-range Sajjil-2
missile Wednesday.
Israel's
Iron Dome interceptor downs missile in first live fire test=
December 17,
2009
TEL AVIV —
=
Saudi Arabia requests =
sale
of TOW missiles for National Guard modernisation programme
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency
(DSCA) notified the US Congress on December 16 of a possible foreign mili=
tary
sale (FMS) to
=
Argentina
successfully tests locally designed and manufactured missile booster
Australian
missile frigate tests SM2 missile
December 18,
2009
Australian
navy’s guided missile frigate, HMAS Melbourne, has demonstrated its
updated air defence capability by recently test-firing a Standard Missile=
(SM
2) off the Jervis Bay, Australian Defence Ministry announced Friday.
Command=
er
Underlines Role of Sejjil 2 Missiles in Boosting Iran's Power<=
/a>
December 19,
2009
Head of the
Iranian Defense Ministry's Aerospace Organization Brigadier General Mehdi
Farahi praised the country's experts for providing the Sejjil 2 missiles =
with
a radar-evading capability, saying that such weapons contribute an import=
ant
role in boosting Iran's deterrence power.
R=
ussia
Initiates Missile-Tracking Radar Station
December 24,
2009
Russia yeste=
rday
began use of a new radar station designed to provide early warning of
incoming enemy missiles, Interfax reported.
|
MIDDLE EAST |
"Transformative
change" key to peace in Middle East: Austrian UN ambassador
"Transformative chang=
e on
the ground is integral to peace" for a Palestinian state, the presid=
ent
of the UN Security Council, Austrian UN Ambassador Thomas Mayr-Harting, s=
aid
here Monday.
Middle East governments, facing the challenges presented by the world's highest levels of populati= on growth, have recognised that sustained long-term economic growth is heavi= ly dependent on their transport infrastructures, with investment in excess of $147bn currently committed to address the region's transportation needs.<= o:p>
Middle
East firms build up operations in Iraq
=
While
Western firms notch up high-profile deals in Iraq, smaller regional compa=
nies
from Iran to Turkey are quietly building a broader Iraqi presence by pump=
ing
billions of dollars into housing and other projects.
Middle East p=
ress
sees double standards in Swiss ban
Newspapers in
the Middle East are critical after the Swiss voted in a referendum to ban=
the
building of minarets.
Middle East
conflict played out in the olive groves
=
December 1, =
2009
Akram Imran says the Jewish settlers cam=
e at
night. "I came to work in the early morning. It was a horrible sight=
, a
massacre of trees," he said. "Some of them are at least 70 years
old." Climbing over a heap of withered branches in his olive grove o=
n a
rocky hillside near the
=
Switzerland's
minaret ban receives tough reception in the Middle East
Switzerland's
controversial referendum decision to ban the construction of new minarets=
for
Swiss mosques has caused varying degrees of concern in the Arab world, and
attracted a wide ranging debate about the reasons behind the decision.
UN’s
Middle East envoy urges halt to demolitions, evictions in East Jerusalem<=
/a>
December 1, =
2009
The top Unit=
ed
Nations envoy to the Middle East today reiterated Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon’s c=
all
for an immediate end to demolitions, evictions and the instalment of Israeli settlers in Palestinian neighbourhoods=
, as
he visited the Sheikh Jarrah area in East Jerusalem, outside a house that=
was
occupied by settlers.
Israel
enforcing West Bank settlement moratorium
December 1, =
2009
Israeli
inspectors armed with aerial maps and empowered to confiscate construction
equipment have begun enforcing a limited government moratorium on new
building in West Bank settlements, officials said on Monday.
Middle East p=
ress
unfazed on Dubai debt
December 2, =
2009
Papers in the
Middle East appear not to be shocked by the announcement by Dubai World t=
hat
it is to reschedule part of its debts.
Egypt
calls upon UN to support draft resolutions on Palestine
December 2, =
2009
Egypt on Tue=
sday
urged the UN General Assembly to support draft resolutions which express
"grave concern" over Israel's illegal settlement activities and
restrictions on Palestinian people.
Iraq
sees alarming rise in cancer, deformed babies
HE guns are gradually falling silent in Iraq as a fragile stability t=
akes
hold, turning the spotlight on a stealthier killer likely to stalk Iraqis=
for
years to come. Incidences of cancer, deformed babies and other health
problems have risen sharply, Iraqi officials say, and many suspect
contamination from weapons used in years of war and accompanying unchecked
pollution as a cause.
Israel
okays new building projects despite moratorium
The Israeli government has authorised the construction of another 84 =
new
homes in West Bank settlements, despite the moratorium it announced last
week, Israel Radio reported.
<=
span
lang=3DEN style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Calibri;color:black;mso-f=
ont-kerning:
18.0pt;mso-ansi-language:EN'>Israel thin=
k-tank
warns EU off "Swedish proposal"
December 3, 2009
A proposal before the European Union to endorse the division of Jerus=
alem
would risk closing off half the city to non-Muslims, according to a think
tank close to the Israeli government.
Israeli
settlers reject plea to reduce tensions
Defiant West
Bank settler leaders rejected a personal plea from the Israeli prime mini=
ster
on Thursday to respect a government-ordered construction freeze in their
communities, vowing to keep confronting security forces sent to enforce t=
he
edict.
Bush,
Blair condemned over Iraq invasion
George W Bush and Tony Blair’s
conviction that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was a threat blinded them to =
the
lack of evidence justifying a war to depose him, an ex-UN weapons inspect=
or
said on Saturday.
Lebanon’s
Palestinians: refugees for life
December 7, =
2009
Palestinian
President Mahmud Abbas’s visit to Beirut today (Monday) casts the
spotlight on the plight of nearly 300,000 Palestinians in Lebanon who fear
they are doomed to be refugees for life.
UN
urges Iraq to set election date ‘as soon as possible’
December 8, =
2009
The United N=
ations
on Monday urged the Iraqi president to announce “as soon as
possible” the date for the war-torn country’s general election
after MPs struck a last minute deal to back the poll.
Netanyahu
prefers France for Syrian mediation
December 8, =
2009
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyah=
u on
Monday said that he would prefer French rather than Turkish mediation in =
the
event indirect talks with
‘Arab
countries flop on human rights’
December 9, =
2009
Human rights
deteriorated across the Arab world in 2009 with torture widely practiced =
in
several countries, mainly Egypt, an Arab watchdog said in a report releas=
ed
on Tuesday.
Israel
gives initial nod to land referendum bill
The Israeli
parliament on Wednesday passed the first reading of a bill requiring a
referendum to approve a pullout from annexed east Jerusalem and the Golan
Heights as part of any peace deal.
Egypt
‘working’ on Gaza border wall
December 10,
2009
Egyptian
earth-moving machinery was at work on the Gaza Strip border on Wednesday =
and
an Israeli newspaper said the project under way was a subterranean metal =
wall
to block Palestinian smuggling tunnels.
EU
warns Israel not to divide bloc over Jerusalem
December 11,
2009
The European Union warned
=
Iran
to face new sanctions: Gates, EU
US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates sai=
d on
Friday he expected the international community to impose significant
additional sanctions against
Saudi
Arabia denies Huthi rebels seized border post
December 13,=
2009
The Saudi
military denied a claim by Yemen’s Huthi rebels that they seized a
Saudi border post, but said fighting has been heavy in the area, Saudi me=
dia
reported on Saturday.
Blair
Iraq war admission sparks fresh outrage
December 14,
2009
Tony Blair’s admission that Britain
would have backed the Iraq war even if he knew it did not have weapons of
mass destruction (
Hamas
vows to ‘liberate Palestine’ at Gaza rally
December 15,
2009
Hamas Prime
Minister Ismail Haniya on Monday told tens of thousands of Hamas supporte=
rs
his group remains committed to the elimination of Israel, on the 22nd
anniversary of its founding.
Chavez
sees US ‘threat’ over Iran ties=
December 15,
2009
Venezuelan
President Hugo Chavez said on Sunday that US Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton’s warning to Latin American nations about their ties with I=
ran
was “an overt threat”, especially to his country and Bolivia.=
Abbas
blames Israel for stalled peace talks
December 16,
2009
Palestinian
President Mahmud Abbas on Tuesday accused Israel of crippling the Middle =
East
peace process by refusing to completely freeze all settlement activity on
occupied Palestinian land.
Much
of West Bank closed to Palestinian building: UN
December 16,
2009
About 44 per=
cent
of the West Bank is effectively off-limits to Palestinian construction, w=
ith
much of that area reserved for the Israeli military and settlers, a UN ag=
ency
said on Tuesday.
US
backing lets Israel stall peace: Saudi FM
December 17,
2009
Saudi Arabian
Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said in an interview published on
Wednesday that US backing for Israel gave the Jewish state the option of =
not
making peace.
Egypt
mediator to help conclude prisoner swap in Jerusalem
December 18,
2009
Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has invited a senior Egyptian mediator to
Jerusalem on Sunday, raising speculation that Israel is about to make its
latest response to the Hamas movement for a major prisoner swap.
=
U.S.
Companies Shut Out as Iraq Auctions Its Oil Fields
Those who claim that the U.S. invaded Ir=
aq
in 2003 to get control of the country's giant oil reserves will be left
scratching their heads by the results of last weekend's auction of Iraqi =
oil
contracts: Not a single U.S. company secured a deal in the auction of
contracts that will shape the Iraqi oil industry for the next couple of
decades.
=
'US
aided' deadly Yemen raids
The
=
'A
secure Iraq would benefit the entire Middle East'
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sa=
ys
that a safe and secure
=
Revealed:
the map of Olmert's 2008 peace plan for the Middle East
In an exclusive story,
=
'Egypt
should fear Iran more than we do'
At the end of an hour-long meeting Sunday
evening with Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, Foreign Minister
Avigdor Lieberman stated that "
=
UN should play l=
ead in
Middle East settlement -Arab League chief
The United Nations should play the leadi=
ng
role in the settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the chief of =
the
Arab League said.
=
Hariri
sees new page in Lebanon’s ties with Syria
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri s=
aid
on Sunday he agreed with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on practical st=
eps
to open up “new horizons” in ties between the two Arab
neighbours.
=
Israel
to step up crackdown on settlement growth
Middle East sett=
lement
needs "impossible" concessions - experts
December 21,
2009
The settleme=
nt
of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict currently requires both sides to make
concessions, which are almost impossible in practice, a report prepared f=
or
an international Middle East conference in Jordan said.
=
N.Korean
Arms 'Bound for Middle East'
December 21,
2009
A cargo aircraft
carrying North Korean weapons seized by the Thai government on Dec. 12 was
bound for the Middle East, a senior U.S. intelligence officer claimed Fri=
day.
|
NUCLEAR WEAPONS/ENERGY |
Nuclear
Corporation Formed in UAE
23
December 2009, 11:46 PMABU DHABI - The President, His Highness Shaikh Kha=
lifa
bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has issued a decree formally establishing the Emirat=
es
Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC). It is vested with the powers to implem=
ent
all programmes of the country to tap nuclear energy for peaceful purposes=
.
Iran
denies nuclear bomb trigger claim; accuses U.S. of forging papers
Eraldo PeresIn an interview with ABC News which was
broadcast on Monday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denied claims =
by
The London Times last week that a leaked paper indicates that the country=
is
working on a trigger device for a nuclear bomb. This all comes at a time when
New
Chief Takes Charge at the U.N. Nuclear Agency
A new top inspector took charge Tuesday of the
International Atomic Energy Agency as it faces one of the most turbulent
periods in its 52-year history. Yukiya Amano, 62, is a career diplomat and
lawyer who served as
India,
Russia sign deals on nuclear energy, defense
(AFP) – Dec 7, 2009: MOSCOW — India and
Russia signed deals on nuclear energy and arms sales on Monday as Indian
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held talks in the Kremlin with Russian
President Dmitry Medvedev. "We welcome
Iran
slams US at climate talk’s lays claim to nuclear energy
(AFP) –
Cyber Security
Shortcomings at Nuclear Labs?
The Department of Energy,
which is responsible for the nation's nuclear weapons and nuclear energy,=
may
jeopardize the security of its technology and lose millions of dollars if=
it
does not improve its cyber security, according to a recent Inspector
General's report.
US
Signs Nuclear Deal with UAE
The new deal allows the
Russia
and India agree on nuclear energy
Russian president Dmitri
Medvedev and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
Iran to=
Launch
1st N. Power Plant after 3 Final Tests
Iran
urges IAEA to rectify approach toward its nuclear program: FM
Indonesia
gets serious about nuclear energy
JAKARTA: Indonesia could
formally embrace nuclear power as early as next year as senior Government
members push to revive a proposal to build up to four reactors just 30 ki=
lometres
from a volcano in Central Java.
Nuclear
expansion could cost $18.2 billion
Express-News A new informal cost update puts the pri=
ce
of CPS Energy's nuclear project at $18.2 billion, about $5 billion more t=
han
the utility has said is affordable for
20=
10 to be
key year in fight against nuclear arms
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Next year will be crucial=
for
global nuclear non-proliferation efforts and all eyes will be on the Unit=
ed
States and Russia to see if the two top atomic powers can reach a deal to
reduce their arsenals. In April, U.S. President Barack Obama declared in a
speech in
|
NUCLEAR TERRORISM |
O=
bama
Administration Plans to Boost Focus on Nuclear Terrorism
The
Harvard's
Allison: be afraid of nuclear race
"The global nuclear
order today could be as fragile as the global financial order was two yea=
rs
ago, when conventional wisdom declared it to be sound, stable and
resilient," Allison writes. Allison, who is director of the <=
st1:PlaceName>Belfer
A
New Approach to US Nuclear Policy: Deterring Nuclear Terrorism
Back in August of this year, the Pentagon released t=
wo
fact sheets on the Nuclear Posture Review, or NPR. As it states quite sim=
ply,
the objective of the NPR is: To establish
U.S.
to Make Stopping Nuclear Terror Key Aim
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration’s
classified review of nuclear weapons policy will for the first time make
thwarting nuclear-armed terrorists a central aim of American strategic
nuclear planning, according to senior Pentagon officials. When completed =
next
year, the Nuclear Posture Review will order the entire government to focu=
s on
countering nuclear terrorists — whether armed with rudimentary bomb=
s,
stolen warheads or devices surreptitiously supplied by a hostile state
— as a task equal to the traditional mission of deterring a strike =
by
major powers or emerging nuclear adversaries.
T=
errorism
a Focus of Nuclear Security Summit Planning Meeting
At a planning meeting held yesterday ahead of the 20=
10
Global Nuclear Security Conference, delegates from countries pursuing or =
in
possession of nuclear energy capabilities agreed on the importance of
strengthening measures to combat nuclear terrorism, Kyodo News reported.
"A lot of international agreements, conventions, rules and guidelines
(on nuclear security are in place)," a Japanese Foreign Ministry
official said. "How they can fully be implemented will be a big
challenge."
The tragic nuclear incident at
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